


Christmas Is A Drag Sometimes

by haunted_by_catholic_guilt



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Christmas Movies, Cuddling & Snuggling, Disabled Character, Fainting, Fever, Hallmark Movies, Hard of Hearing Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Jewish Tim Stoker, Jon has POTS, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist With a Cane, Multi, Muslim Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Nightmares, Nonbinary Character, Sick Character, Sickfic, Trans Martin Blackwood, hoh tim stoker, its just important to me, martin is pagan but its not really mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28303269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haunted_by_catholic_guilt/pseuds/haunted_by_catholic_guilt
Summary: “For the last time, I am not ill, I simply stood up to fast.”Tim hummed, standing up next to Jon, and handing him his cane.“Alright, then stand up and walk more than ten steps.”Martin started to say something but was cut off by Jon standing up, and promptly passing out into Tim’s waiting arms.“Jon!”
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist/Tim Stoker
Comments: 6
Kudos: 114





	Christmas Is A Drag Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [captaincravatthecapricious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/captaincravatthecapricious/gifts).



> Secret Santa for the lovely Jasper (captaincravatthecapricious)
> 
> only thing i can think of for TW is Martin thinking about how his childhood christmas' weren't good and his exes possibly being dicks

It was cold in London.

Jon shivered and pulled his coat tighter, not that it would do much if it wasn’t already.

It was dark and dreary, but it normally was, and the last day of work before the holidays.

Sasha had already left to go and stay with her family for Christmas, being the only person in the archives who celebrate, it was easier to take time off.

Chanukah started the next day, but Tim didn’t typically travel home for it, having taken his holiday time off for Rosh Hashana in October, and Jon didn’t celebrate any winter holidays.

Martin seemed to avoid talking about the holidays.

He pushed open the door to the archives, careful not to slip on the floor, and stepped into his office, ignoring how the squeaking of his shoes made pain stab behind his eyes.

He sat at his desk, setting down his cane and slipping off his coat, before setting to work.

“Statement of Tatsuki Murray, regarding the disappearance of their partner. Original statement given February 5th, 1956. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of The Magnus Institute, London.”

The statement was horrifying, it always was, he didn’t believe them… not really but it was still eerie how some will only record on the tape recorders.

He always ended these statements with a racing heart and a metallic taste on his tongue.

A knock on his door broke him out of his all to common trance and sparing a glance at the clock, it was already noon.

He came in at seven.

“Jon? I know you are in there.”

He sighed, it was Martin, probably concerned about his well-being.

“Come on in.”

God, his throat hurt, had he been coughing?

The door opened slowly, Martin had a cup of steaming tea, and the light of the archives made his hair almost look like a halo on his head.

Not the time for thinking that.

“Jon? Are you alright? I heard you coughing.”

He didn’t remember coughing.

“Uh, yes, Martin I am perfectly fine. Just… tired is all.”

Martin smiled softly, and he probably would’ve set the tea down and left, if Jon’s lungs didn’t decide that would’ve been a good time to revolt.

“Jon that… that doesn’t sound good.”

Jon sighed and took a sip of the tea Martin had sat on his desk, the tall man now wringing his hands together worriedly.

“I’ll be fine, Martin, please finish the follow up on Statement 0121904, as soon as possible.”

Martin frowned and looked at him.

“Alright, Jon, let us know if you need anything, yeah?”

Jon nodded, careful not to move too fast to not activate vertigo he normally got with fevers.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Have you seen the boss today, Marto?”

Martin looked up from his work to Tim standing next to his desk and signing at him, they had both been busy that day, not having time for talking.

“I went into his office, didn’t look well.”

Tim hummed, and sat on Martin’s desk, causing the other man to move his tea.

“Hm, he does always get sick around this time of year. What kinda sick?”

Martin thought Jon had looked pale and had a nasty cough.

“Probably just a bad cold or flu, he just needs to rest so he doesn’t make it worse.”

Tim smiled lightly, the kind that made his normally panicking heart calm down for just a moment.

“You worry too much, he’ll be alright…”

He hesitated, looking awkwardly across the room for a moment.

“What are your holiday plans, Martin? You haven’t really mentioned anything and I know you’re not on the best terms with your mum…”

He dragged off, Martin felt his cheeks burn slightly, but he quickly flashed a smile.

“I don't really celebrate Christmas, no need to worry! It’s alright, really.”

Tim smiled back, some more comfortable energy returning to him.

“Alright, if you get lonely at all, you’re welcome to join me for Chanukah one night if you want!”

Martin smiled brightly, it meant a lot that Tim would invite him, he grew up celebrating Christmas, but it had been a while since he had celebrated.

“Thank you, I may just take you up on that one day.”

Just then Jon walked in, leaning heavily on his cane, wearing a loose maxi skirt and a thick woolen sweater with a scarf around his neck.

“Afternoon.”

Tim slid off of Martin’s desk and grabbed a rolling chair, in a no suspecting way, but Martin knew it was for Jon.

“Woah, bossman you look like shit, here, sit.”

He pushed the chair towards Jon, who even more worryingly accepted it. 

“I’m fine, you have more important things to worry about than me, like work.”

Tim scoffed and crouched next to Jon, taking the shorter man‘s cane and lightly setting it against a desk  
so it wouldn’t fall.

Jon looked dizzy, leaning forward and resting his head in his hand, and there was a thin sheen of sweat along his forehead.

“Jon, we’ve talked about this, if you’re sick you need to stay home.”

Jon scoffed and moved back, clearly being hit by vertigo but pretending he didn’t.

“For the last time, I am not ill, I simply stood up to fast.”

Tim hummed, standing up next to Jon, and handing him his cane.

“Alright, then stand up and walk more than ten steps.”

Martin started to say something but was cut off by Jon standing up, and promptly passing out into Tim’s waiting arms.

“Jon!”

Tim lowered them both to the ground, so Jon’s head was cradled in his lap, stroking his hair and wincing at the heat.

“He’s burning up…”

Tim looked at Martin, who had crouched on the ground next to them, and grabbed Jons wrist.

“Boss, you gotta wake up.”

Tim lightly poked the side of Jon’s face, who was beginning to stir.

“T’m? What hap’nd?”

Jon attempted to sit up but Tim held him down, careful not to be too harsh.

“You’re sick boss, passed out in my arms like a damsel in distress.”

Jon made an offending noise, but curled deeper into himself, adjusting slightly and digging his face into the other man's thigh.

“‘m tired”

Jon suddenly was so docile it scared Martin just a little but Tim didn’t seem too surprised by it.

“Alright, let’s get you out of here, hm?”

Jon nodded into his leg, all while Martin looked on confused and astonished.

Tim picked up Jon, setting him back onto the chair, and leaving his cane next to him, before turning to Martin and signing at him.

“Get your stuff, let’s go back to mine.”

Martin was still confused, but nodded, the sudden shift in Jon’s behavior was concerning but Tim didn’t seem too disturbed by it, so he just went with it.

After gathering up his and Tim’s items, the latter man collecting Jon’s outerwear, he quietly stood next to Jon’s sleeping form, studying him in what he hoped was a non-creepy way.

“He looks older than he is.”

Tim was walking in with Jon’s coat, scarf, and hat, as he knelt by the sleeping man to somehow get him into his coat.

“He’s like this when he’s not feeling good after he surpasses the stubborn point, he reached a very clingy and childish point before he shuts down again and is delirious, not fun to deal with, I’m just gonna assume he’s extra tired.”

Martin nodded, and Tim hoisted Jon up into his arms, before motioning for Martin to grab the cane and follow, which he did.

Tim put Jon in the back seat of his car and Jon whined at the loss of contact, leading Tim to look at Martin.

“Why don’t you sit in the back with him? Make sure he doesn’t fall off the seat?”

Martin flushed but fumbled out an affirmative answer and crawling into the back, where Jon immediately curled up into his side, content with some warmth to stop the shivering.

Martin pushed down the feeling in his fluttering heart, but shot Tim a glare at the other man’s own in the rearview mirror.

After the drive, which Martin spent with a burning Jon pressed to his side, they arrived at Tim’s flat and Tim settled Jon onto the couch.

“I’ll be right back, gonna for grab him a change of clothes.”

Martin nodded, and busied himself getting a glass of water for the ill man, and taking off his shoes, feeling somewhat like he was invading.

Tim’s flat was large, but not busily decorated, on a window ledge there was a beautiful menorah, made of what Martin suspected was bronze with candles in it, next to it was a dreidel sitting on top of a stack of cards.

Martin thought about his own home growing up, always bare during the holidays, maybe a small fake Christmas tree, but his mum stopped celebrating after his dad left, leaving him with nothing, but he’d always try and get something nice for her.

He smiled bitterly at the thought of it, and a little brighter at the thought of what was his best experience with Christmas, when the English teacher who he had confided in gave him a small bracelet with the trans flag colors, and a small bag of candy.

He had gotten things from ex-lovers and friends, of course, usually small things and often backhanded things, the most he got from his family ever was a few pounds.

He felt a tear threaten to escape his eye, quickly wiping it away, just as Tim walked in.

“Alright, boss, got you some pajamas you left here, come on, let’s get you changed.”

Jon nodded and Tim wrangled him into the oversized t-shirt and sweatpants, Jon acting as a piece of jello the whole time, hardly helping, but it clearly wasn’t the first time Tim had done this with Jon.

Martin definitely felt like he was intruding at this point, but decided to ignore that sinking feeling.

“Make yourself at home, I’ll get him in bed, and then we can watch some shitty hallmark movies?”

Martin nodded, settling down on the couch.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim and Martin got through one and a half of shitty hallmark movies before they heard something fall in the other room, and saw a tired looking Jon emerge, leaning heavily on the wall.

“What’re you doing up, Jon?”

Tim looked ready to stand up and grab the other man. but hadn’t yet, and the other man shuffled over to the couch, looking exhausted and dizzy.

“Lonely.”

He sat on the couch and curled into a ball on the cushion between Tim and Martin, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“How’re you feeling, Jon?”

Martin kept his voice soft and reached over gently to check Jon’s temperature with his hand.

“Cold ‘n tired, dizzy.”

He was slumped over into a tight ball, and he was shivering fairly violently, so, Martin made an impulse decision he just hoped he wouldn’t regret.

He pulled the pale man closer to him, letting him rest his head on his lap, and running his hand down his shaking arm.

Jon made a content noise and Tim looked on in awe, stifling a laugh at Martin’s very embarrassed and focused face.

“I think he’s due for another round of medicine, and it’s getting close to dinner, I’ll order in something, do you like Thai?”

Martin nodded, smiling gently and keeping quiet, as he was pretty sure Jon had already fallen asleep.

A few minutes later, Tim returned with the medicine and a thermometer for Jon, carefully shaking him awake.

“Hey, boss, you gotta wake up and take this, gotta check your temperature too.”

Jon groaned and pushed himself into Martin’s thigh more, very much not enjoying the idea of being awake.

“I know, come on, get it over with and then you can go back to cuddling Martin.”

Martin blushed, but helped Jon sit up, keeping him propped up while Tim set the thermometer in his mouth.

“Not good, alright, medicine time.”

Jon scrunched his face, but did what Tim asked, and immediately flopped back down onto Martin, who stiffened at the shock, but Jon still seemed content.

Tim laughed and settled back onto the couch, careful not to disturb Jon, and quietly reading the menu to Martin for the restaurant.

After the food arrived, they went back to watching shitty holiday movies, and it was quiet for some time before Jon started to stir again.

He was mumbling something, in Arabic, Martin was fairly sure, but it sounded fairly panicked.

“Jon, you’re okay, wake up you’re okay”

He didn’t wake up, he was sweating and shaking, beginning to thrash violently, in Martin’s arms.

“We gotta get his temperature down.”

Tim stood up, careful not to hit Jon at all, and disappeared down the hall, leaving Martin with the shaking man until he got back, and Martin could hear the bath running from the bathroom.

“Alright, come on boss.”

Tim tried to grab him, but he clung to Martin, gripping his jumper.

“I got you, Jon.”

Martin stood up, still holding Jon, and carefully made his way to the bathroom, gently setting him down on the closed toilet lid.

Tim stepped forward to help Jon out of his clothing, having done this before, and helping Jon into the lukewarm bath, which he did not like, thrashing around more.

“Jon, you gotta stay calm, I know you don’t like it and it’s uncomfortable but we gotta get your temperature down.”

Tim ran his fingers through the sick man’s hair, slick with sweat, and they waited.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jon pried open his eyes, he felt sticky and something was on his forehead.

He looked around, realizing this was not his room, it was Tim’s, he was still safe, then.

He was also laying to someone.

He turned his head, his neck cracking loudly, only to realize he was laying on Martin, who was awkwardly positioned, asleep.

Shit.

“Hey, feeling better?”

He looked back at the doorway to see Tim, holding a small tray with some toast, a glass of water, and a blister-pack of pills.

“Wh- what happened?”

His throat was dry, and even just trying to talk triggered a coughing fit, which woke Martin up, and Jon tried to ignore the guilt he felt at that.

Once the coughing fit subsided he felt Martin rubbing his back gently, while Tim sat on the bed next to them.

“You’re sick, brought you back here, me and Martin are wonderful nursemaids, just so you’re aware.”

Jon blushed, accepting the water and pills Tim was handing him.

“You gotta try eating some toast, I know you don’t like eating when you’re sick but you’ve taken too much medication on an empty stomach. Think you’re up for a sports drink?”

Jon nodded, and Tim left to grab one from the fridge.

He really was too good.

He then realized he was still sitting on Martin’s lap.

Fuck.

Martin somehow knew what he was thinking, and shifted slightly, setting Jon on the bed.

“It’s alright, Jon! I don’t mind heh.”

Jon felt his face flush a deep red, before quietly thanking him, just then Tim walked back into the room.

“Alright, alright! Let’s get this party started!!!”

He flopped on the bed next to them, and turned on the TV.

“Really Tim? Polar Express?”

Tim smiled, and Jon let himself relax between his friends

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> tumblr is haunted-by-catholic-guilt


End file.
